Category Archives: Dinner Parties

Back in 2010 I decided to post pictures of dishes I cooked and wine we drunk over meals on Facebook. The album is named

things I have fun with and like to eat and like to drink

I always had and have very good feedback. But one of these days at the gym of the building we live Gulsena…made my day :). She tells me she’d seen my Facebook pictures and

they are mouthwatering and look delicious and I would love to try them!

I was over the moon!!! It didn’t take long to set up a date so Gulsena and Agnis, her husband, would join us for dinner!

I went for a menu that didn’t require last minute cooking so we could spend most of our time with our guests.

To start with and inspired in a starter we had in a Restaurant in summer 2010 in Rome I brought out 1 ingredient from the fridge and 3 from the cupboard: ricotta, oatmeal biscuits, fig relish and honey. These 4 ingredients make up an excellent appetiser by spreading the fig relish on top of the oatmeal biscuit and then the ricotta cheese followed by a tiny bit of honey. I ♥ eating this, specially during the winter…the fig relish has a hint of cinnamon giving it a certain warmth… Trust me (!), the combination of these fours ingredients is PERFECT! I do actually need to find a name for it!!!!! Anyone wants to help???

For main course I served a Ricotta Meatloafprepared and cooked before Gulsena and Agnis arrived.

Ricotta Meatloaf

This recipe is great because not only is very good and tasty but also healthy and can be cooked a while before eating or the previous night. Additionally can be served both ways: warm or cold!

We opened a bottle of french red wine given to Oreste by Gulsena some days before our meal. The wine paired the food very well: smooth with some fruity notes that blended with the ricotta meatloaf flavours without obscuring them.

I love to eat and to make this recipe. It’s easy, quick and with just a few ingredients you’ll have a happy and pleasing meal! The saffron gives it a fantastic yellow colour, that will make your eyes brighten up and an intense, yet just right, fulfilling flavour! In Italy is often served with a piece of meat, usually cotoletta or osso buco. Personally I prefer it by itself. Simple is better!

The wine… I knew I wanted to serve the Risotto Milanese with a good Portuguese red wine. But which one? My bottleneck was what I had available at our local supermarket: a good handful from different regions. So I decided to go for a

Something sweet was on demand to finish our meal. Because I haven’t made any dessert and to carry on with the Italian theme I brought out from the cupboard some cantucci and Vin Santo. Vin Santo is an Italian dessert wine typical from Tuscany and is traditionally paired with cantucci – crunchy almond biscuits – also typical from Tuscany: just dunk the biscuit in the wine – Delicious!

Our dinner was followed by healthy chat, laughter and ‘tears of joy’ – we had some catch up to do – at the table, pela noite dentro!!!

A special thanks to you little brother and to the special woman that makes you happy!